Wild Siblings
by RandomEllie
Summary: A lone Xenomorph, a human living in the jungle...can they survive together, on Earth and maybe even beyond? First fanfic, reviews/criticism welcome some horror/gore, some coarse language. may be some sex in later chapters undecided atm lol I don't own Aliens or Predators, all other characters are my creation though
1. Lost and Alone

They were all gone. The Queen's presence was non-existent. He felt lost. What was he supposed to do now? Without the Queen to give him orders, he had no purpose. His host was running through the jungle, unaware of the creature's presence in his chest.

The aftershock of the explosion shook the trees around him. He glanced over his shoulder, the pyramid was gone. It had been completely destroyed. Gulping, he slumped to the ground, shock setting in.

He knew he should be leaving his host soon, but what was he going to do after he left it?

Selva crouched behind the tree, eyes frantically searching the jungle around her. What had caused the sudden rush of wind? The smell of smoke hung in the air as well, but she couldn't hear the tell-tale crackling of flames. She stayed crouched there for a while, watching anxiously. Birds and monkeys resumed their usual chattering in the canopy above, adding their voices to the trickle of water coming from the large river off to her right. Selva remained still. Her bow was sitting loosely in her hand, an arrow notched and ready. A rustle from a clump of bushes to her left caught her attention, and she lifted the bow slowly, repositioning herself so she was facing the danger. She heard his breathing before she saw him, and had time to duck around the tree a bit so she was out of sight. A man stumbled out of the bushes and past the tree, heading for the river. He was clutching at his chest and drawing in deep ragged breaths. Selva followed him, silently slipping through bushes and long grass. He stopped at the river's edge and fell to his knees, gasping in pain. Selva crouched behind a fallen tree to watch him. He was grunting to himself, saying words she couldn't understand. Her parents had taught her English, but she didn't recognise any of the words coming from the man. He arched his back suddenly, then screamed before falling back completely. Selva could see the hole in his chest, and had her bow ready again, eyes scanning the foliage on the other side of the river. She couldn't spot anyone, but he had to have been shot. What else could have done that to his chest? A squealing sound diverted her attention from the far bank and she stared at the small snake-like creature writhing on the grass beside the dead man. She eyed it warily. It wasn't like any of the snakes she'd seen before. It was still making that awful screeching sound. If it wasn't careful, it was going to attract predators. Selva scanned the area around her quickly before standing to leave. The creature spotted her and lunged towards her, still squealing. Selva stared at it. It seemed to be an infant. Growing up in the jungle, she had learned to recognise the body language of animals. The body language of this strange creature suggested it was hungry and scared. She crouched down and held her hand out to it. It hissed, trying to mask it's fear with anger and hostility. Selva grinned. It reminded her of herself. She made small chirping noises to it while she cut a piece of flesh off the dead monkey hanging from her belt. Still chirping at it, she held out the meat, hoping it wouldn't bite her hand as well as the meat. The creature didn't hesitate, launching itself at the offered food.


	2. Selva's Past

**Edit: **thanks everyone for the reviews

Selva had lived alone since her parents left. She preferred it that way. She knew English, both written and spoken, but didn't speak. She traded with the small villages on the edges of the jungle for things she couldn't grow, catch or make for herself. The villagers were used to her, and knew not to try to follow her. The skins and fruits she brought in to trade were rare or hard to get. Some of the animal traders would give her pictures of hard-to-get animals they had orders for. If she could get them alive, the traders paid well, so she had some money for things she couldn't trade for.

Selva could remember growing up on different dig sites, running around the ruins of ancient civilisations while her parents dug up mankind's history. Her friends had been the natives who helped her parents on their various expeditions, some teaching her to hunt and make weapons, others to cook or weave clothes and baskets.

When Selva was thirteen she and her parents came to this jungle. Their native guides had only taken them as far as the edge of the city before returning home to their families. The country had been on the verge of war, but her parents were determined to visit the ruined city. They figured they would be safe, so deep in the jungle, and they had been. Then her mother had gotten sick, and they'd needed to go into town for medicine. Her father had told Selva to stay at the camp site, where she would be safe, and wait for their return. Like a shadow, she had followed them, anxious about her mother. She had watched as her parents walked out of the jungle, arms up in a gesture of peace. The men pointing guns at them had marched them away, and Selva had never seen them again. That had been ten years ago. She had stayed in the ruined city, hoping her parents would return after the war. When they didn't, she continued to live there, it had become home.


	3. Hunters

**Author's note:** thanks for the reviews and follows. it's so encouraging to know people enjoy my writing

It was getting dark fast. Selva had wandered farther than usual for her hunting today. The creature was sleeping in her satchel, slung from her shoulder. It was getting heavier every minute. She had peeked in at it a couple of times and had been astonished at how quickly it was growing. It was going to be too big for the satchel soon. She thought as she walked along, stepping absently around thick ferns or over fallen branches, she couldn't keep thinking of it as "the creature", she would have to give it a name. A nickname one of her parents' scientist friends had given her when she was small popped into her head and she smiled. It was perfect. Jovem. It was Portuguese and meant young, immature. It had suited her when she was little, and now it seemed to suit her new companion. Her own name was also Portuguese, and meant jungle. She could remember being told that once but could not recall who had told her.

She stopped walking suddenly and crouched down, taking her knife from her belt. The jungle around her had gone silent. Something was wrong. She knew there were natives who hunted in the jungle still, but they didn't usually venture this deep in. She also knew that they, like her, were accepted by the jungle animals. There was a predator here, one that didn't belong in this jungle.

Kar'ja frowned. Why had the Ooman stopped? Had she sensed his presence? He mentally cursed Sal'rk for letting the kainde amedha escape before he blew up the pyramid. Luckily the ship's scanners had picked it up while they were taking off.

The Ooman was on the move again, walking faster than before. The kainde amedha was walking beside her, now too big to be carried. She didn't seem to be too worried about her companion's appearance, focusing on the jungle around them. The kainde amedha hissed suddenly, glaring up at a tree ahead of them. The Ooman stopped and prepared her primitive weapon, pointing it into the tree. Kar'ja remained still and hidden, watching as the Ooman and kainde amedha stared at the tree. A low growl came from a leafy branch and an animal leaped down at them, fangs bared and claws outstretched.


	4. Busy Day

**Author's Note:** took me a bit to get this one up, sorry, had writer's block for this story lol. enjoy and thanks for the reviews/faves

Selva tensed as the jaguar leaped for her and Jovem. Judging by it's body language, it was really angry. They must have wandered into it's territory. Her bowstring was tight, and she was ready to drop the bow and grab her knife as soon as she'd let the arrow fly. Before she could loose the arrow though, Jovem let out a snarl and flew at the jaguar.

Selva stepped back and watched in shock as Jovem tore the jaguar to pieces as easily as though it were made of cloth. 'Jovem..,' she said quietly as the creature turned away from the bloody remains to look at her. He tilted his head to one side at the sound of her voice and made a quiet chirruping noise in reply. She wasn't thrown by the blood or the mangled body, she had seen plenty of both in her life. She was in awe at the speed and ferocity with which he had dispatched the predator. Especially since he had been nothing more than a small snake only a couple of hours ago. He took a step towards her and she crouched down in front of him, pulling a piece of cloth from her belt.

'Come here, you're a mess,' she told him, motioning him forward with her hand. He obeyed and stood still as she cleaned the blood off as best she could. 'There. Much better,' she said, replacing the cloth in her belt and looking at the mangled remains. She salvaged what meat and fur she could, which wasn't much, putting it into a pouch dangling beside the monkey. 'You didn't have to shred it,' she reprimanded Jovem as they continued their walk through the jungle. 'We only kill what we need to live, meat is food, not trash to be strewn about.' She ran a hand lightly over the hard black skin of his head. _I'm starting to sound like Mother,_ she thought, grinning at the memories of lectures about safety and respecting every living thing around her. Even when she caught animals for the traders, it was just so she could survive, and if the species was close to extinction she refused to capture them, instead watching over them in case the "civilised" people decided to come for them themselves.

She was snapped out of her memories by a low growl from Jovem. She looked around, listening carefully. A flash of light pierced through the bushes ahead and she ducked down, pulling on Jovem's shoulder. He crouched beside her, both of them staring at the bushes. _One thing after another tonight,_ she thought, biting the inside of her cheek. The torch-light moved to the right, then vanished. Jovem tensed, getting ready to attack.

'No,' Selva whispered, putting a hand on his back. 'We go around them.' He growled quietly but followed as she began crawling off to the left. The humans were easy enough to avoid, they were so noisy. They seemed to be setting up camp. Selva and Jovem skirted around the clearing and continued on in their original direction.

Kar'ja watched, confused, as they hid from the other Oomans. Was she deliberately avoiding them? Maybe they were Bad Bloods. Or maybe she was. It would certainly explain why she and the kainde amedha got along so well. He wasn't supposed to be seen. His only job was to destroy the kainde amedha. At the moment, he knew he wouldn't be able to do that without attracting the Ooman's attention. He would have to report this to the Elder on board the ship. He made a note of the direction they were heading and headed back to where the ship was waiting, cloaked and hovering above the jungle.


	5. Home Safe?

**Edit:** Lol realised I'd put the wrong name for the Predator character, ah the joys of writing late at night haha.

Selva guided Jovem through the traps she had laid around the outer edges of the ruins. It was completely dark now, but she knew her way. She led him into the depths of the ruins, to an ancient temple. Here was her home. The remains of the temple provided enough cover so that she could light a fire without fear of it being spotted from above or the ground. It didn't take her long to prepare the monkey, throw it into a pot of water along with some carrots, potatoes and onions from her little garden, and set it above the fire to boil. Jovem seemed perfectly content to eat the monkey scraps she'd set aside to bury later. She shrugged, washed her face and hands, then settled down to clean her arrows and knife while she waited for her stew to cook.

Frank Amos watched the girl prepare her dinner. He loved these electronic binoculars. The infra-red function was great. He couldn't believe how scared the natives were of this city in the middle of the jungle. They thought it was guarded by a tribe of immortal warriors or something. He had come expecting there to be at least a village of savages, but so far all he could spot was this one girl. The guides he had hired had only taken them a half a day's walk into the jungle, then pointed out an overgrown trail and left him and his team to make their own way. The locals obviously did not like treasure hunters, but he didn't care. The mountain looming behind the ruined city was rumoured to have been a volcano. It was only rumour because scientists had been unable to examine it up close due to the local tribes keeping everyone away. It was a sacred site, and people weren't allowed anywhere near it. The residents of the city had mined the volcano for gemstones to adorn their streets and temples, according to the myths. Frank had come to secure a fortune for himself, and he didn't intend to let any jungle-dwelling tree people stop him. He had lied to the guides, telling them he wanted photos of the city, and promising to take them from a distance. He was sure they hadn't believed him, but he had paid well, and had a lot of camera equipment cases. For the expedition, he had hired the two best big game hunters in the world, three ex-military snipers and of course his two personal bodyguards. The equipment cases held, not cameras, but various guns and knives. He watched the savage pack up her cooking items and curl up beside the fire. With a grin, he put away his binoculars and lay back on his sleeping bag. The plans were already laid. In the morning, they would strike the city.

Kar'ja crouched in the tall tree, watching the men sleeping in the clearing beneath him. The Elder had ordered him to bring in both the girl and the kainde amedha. On his way to fulfil his orders, he had noticed the Oomans were still in the clearing, and that one of them was watching the girl while the others were preparing weapons. Sensing bad intentions, he decided to stay and see what they were going to do. Besides, if he tried to take the Ooman and the kainde amedha now and they made too much noise, it would attract these other Oomans and he couldn't risk detection.

**Author's Note: **hm...I'm not sure if I'm happy with Frank's description, I kinda forced it a bit and I think the writing reflects that lol. oh well, let me know what you all think, hope you like it.


	6. In The City Part 1

Selva awoke in the pale light before sunrise. Yawning, she stretched and looked around for Jovem. He was curled up on the fire pit, his tail wrapped around his body protectively as he slept. She smiled and grabbed a peach from the small pile of fruit she had collected the day before. She ate quickly, then picked up her knife and a clean set of clothes and headed for the back of the temple. Natural pools had been turned into baths by the original inhabitants of the city, and Selva loved them. The water was a lovely warm temperature all year round. She kept soap and hair products bought from villagers on a shelf beside the doorway. Her clean clothes she dumped beside one of the smaller pools, along with a soft towel she'd saved from her parents' things when they left. Scooping water up in a clay pot, she wet her hair then proceeded to cut it with her knife so that it hung down to just below the base of her skull. The hair she'd cut off was placed into a clay urn to be burned later, then she stripped and climbed into the water, lying back and fully submerging herself before starting to wash.

_Mother? MOTHER!_ Selva was just rinsing her hair when the voice screamed in her head. It was accompanied by a blood-curdling screech that tore through the morning silence. She shot out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her dripping body. Snatching up her knife, she ran to her camp, eyes peeled for danger. Jovem was standing in the middle of the large room, mouth open in mid-screech. Selva stopped and gaped. His tongue appeared to have another mouth on the end of it. Upon her arrival, Jovem stopped screeching and ran to her, almost knocking her over in his hurry. He circled her, sniffing anxiously.

'Jovem, what's wrong? I was only having a bath,' Selva told him, trying to calm him down.

_Mother was gone. Thought Mother had left me,_ the voice said in her head.

Selva frowned. 'Jovem? Are you...talking to me?'

Jovem nodded his head. _Yes, Mother._

'Okay, please stop calling me "mother", it's weird,' Selva said, giggling.

_But you are like Mother._

'I would prefer "sister", I think,' she replied.

_Sister._ He sounded like he was musing on the word. _Okay. Sister._

'Okay. Can I go get dressed now?' Jovem nodded and Selva walked back to the baths, smiling and shaking her head.

Kar'ja chuckled quietly to himself as he watched the chaos in the camp below him. The yowling had woken the Oomans, and apparently given them quite a scare. He had recognised it as the yowl of a kainde amedha, though he'd never heard one sound so panicked. They packed up their camp much faster than they had set it up, and now they all seemed to be arguing. He chuckled again. He loved coming to Earth, Oomans were so interesting.

Frank was furious. Two of his three snipers wanted to leave. He was paying them thousands of dollars and they wanted to bail just because some stupid animal had gotten hurt and woke them up with its screaming. Evidently they had researched the place they were going to and believed the rumours surrounding the ancient city.

'You're not going to leave, you're going to do your jobs. It was just some dumb animal, not a stupid immortal warrior or ancient curse, get a hold of yourselves,' he snapped angrily.

'We ain't getting' paid enough to deal with this shit. Keep your money. You're on your own!' They gathered their things and walked resolutely out of the camp, heading back for the village where they'd hired the guides.

'Fuckin' superstitious wimps!' Frank snarled after their retreating backs. 'Come on. Whoever's guarding that city would have to be awake by now, so much for the element of surprise.' He led the remaining sniper, the hunters and his bodyguards towards the ruins.

Selva hung her towel up to dry and slipped her knife through her belt. Jovem watched her from his place on the coals of the fire. She slung a quiver of arrows over her shoulder and picked up her bow.

'Ready to go? I need to pick some more fruit,' she said cheerfully. Jovem stretched and joined her as she left the temple through the back exit.

Something cracked under Frank's foot. He stepped back and looked down, expecting to see a broken twig. There was nothing there, except for his own footprint in the dirt. Suddenly, he was lying face-down in the dirt, a weight on his back.

'Get off of me! What the fuck?' he yelled. The weight lifted and he stood up, glaring.

Patrick, one of his bodyguards was standing behind him. 'It was a trap,' he explained, gesturing at a large log that was still swinging above his footprint.

'The place is fucking booby-trapped. Watch your step,' Frank ordered. The sniper took the lead, examining the ground before taking each step. The others followed him in single file, placing their feet in his footprints just to be safe. They hadn't gotten far into the city before the sniper disappeared. Patrick had been walking directly behind him and he stopped short, staring down in disbelief. The sniper had fallen into a pit filled with razor-sharp spikes.

'What's the hold-up?' Frank demanded from near the back. He was walking between the hunters, with his other bodyguard, Terry, bringing up the rear.

'He's dead,' Patrick managed, still staring into the pit.

'So? We can't do anything about that, keep going.' Swallowing, Patrick slowly started to walk around the pit, stealing glances at the dead man every few seconds. Unfortunately, the distraction the dead man caused cost him his life. As he placed his foot down, he felt a slight pressure beneath it. Too late he realised it was a piece of string stretched over the path. The _twang _resounded through the empty city as five crossbows released their arrows. They hit their mark, Patrick was dead before he hit the ground, five arrow shafts sticking out of his chest.

'For God's sake, can't anyone spot a fucking trap?' Frank cried in frustration. 'Keep going! There's a fortune waiting for us, and nothing is going to stop me from getting it!' He shoved the hunter in front of him, forcing him to step over Patrick's body. They moved along slowly now, the hunters both very anxiously looking all around. Terry was silent as he stepped over his fallen long-time co-worker. He had liked Patrick, he had been one of the few men as dedicated to his job as Terry was. They had had different motivations, whereas Terry was in it for the pleasure of beating the crap out of people, Patrick had been in it for the money. He glanced at one of the arrow shafts, noting the bright purple feathers on it. This trap had not been made years ago, it was a new one. That meant he would be able to find someone to take revenge on. He grinned maliciously. Blood would be spilled by his hands before he was through with this expedition.

**Author's note:** Part one of two lol should have the next part up in a day or two. enjoy


	7. In The City Part 2

**Author's Note:** Here it is as promised, hope you all enjoy it. thank you so much for the follows and reviews :D they encourage me to keep writing this story. Lol btw, I finished writing this chapter and posted it at 3am so you have my apologies if there are any mistakes haha

Jovem was high up in a tree, tossing fruit down to Selva when the scream pierced the air.

'Time to go back,' Selva called up to him. He unhooked his claws and slid down the tree, leaving scratches down the trunk. Selva had already started back, the basket of fruit hanging from one arm. 'Those damn people must be trying to get into the city,' Selva muttered as they walked. 'Good thing I keep the security measures maintained. I don't get why people can't just leave things alone.'

Jovem made a noise in his throat which sounded like a chuckle. _Will we be in danger there, Sister?_ he asked. Selva shook her head.

They had made it to the building where the girl had been sleeping. The ashes of her fire were in a pit in the middle of the room. The building had obviously been special. There were tall pillars along the walls, with large statues standing between them. The statues were of human-like creatures, with weird armour and helmets with dreadlocks hanging down from them. Frank stared at them as he walked past. They must be the warrior gods the savages who built this place must have worshipped. The sun glinting off something shiny caught his eye and he stepped closer to the nearest statue. The bands around the stone dreadlocks were inlaid with diamonds! He ran to the next statue. The bands on this one were set with emeralds.

'Quick, help me get the gems off the statues,' he ordered Terry and the remaining hunter. They obliged, although they didn't seem overly excited about the task. The hunter had chosen a statue near the entranceway, one with deep red rubies set into the stone. He struck the statue with the tip of his knife, trying to chip the stone away from the rubies. As soon as the metal connected with the stone, the helmet on the statue fell away. He never saw the face of the statue, a spray of liquid shot out of the statue's mouth. He screamed as the liquid ate away at his skin, burning through to the bone in seconds. Frank sprang backwards, away from the statue he'd been stripping. Terry followed suit, staring at the faceless body.

'We need that girl!' Frank snarled.

'What girl?'

'The girl who slept here last night. She's alive. She must know where all the traps are. We have to find her.' Terry nodded and pulled his pistol from his belt. Time for some action.

Kar'ja had watched the Oomans enter the city. The traps were clever. He very much approved of them. Now the remaining two were hunting for the female. He was perched on part of the temple roof that was still intact, watching the proceedings with interest. The female and kainde amedha were approaching from the back of the city. The two males were walking towards the back of the city. Judging by their speed, they would meet very soon. He considered interfering but decided against it, wanting to see what the female would do.

Jovem grew more on edge as they approached the city. Selva sensed his anxiety but kept going, the city was her home and she wasn't going to let anyone invade it without a fight. She wasn't afraid of the men. She was worried about the possibility of getting hurt, but worry wouldn't stop her from defending her home. She had fought men before, poachers mainly, and had always managed to triumph. Her knowledge of the ruins, the jungle, and the plants and animals living around her gave her an advantage over any intruders. As they drew closer, Jovem walked off to the left, dropping low to creep along, hidden from the city by leafy bushes. Selva let him, sensing his intention to launch a surprise attack. She saw the men a split second before they saw her. One of them yelled something she couldn't hear and a shot rang out, the sound echoing off the stone walls. She threw herself into the bushes on her right, reflex and instinct taking over. She rolled as she hit the ground, ending up back on her feet in a crouch behind the bushes. She heard their running footsteps approaching and tensed up in anticipation. When they sounded close enough, she launched herself out of the bushes, colliding with one of them, her arm landing a glancing blow to the other's face. The man she'd collided with fell to the ground, with her on top of him. He swung at her with a fist. She blocked it easily and responded with one of her own, striking him square on the jaw. The force of her blow pushed his head back, slamming it onto the dusty brick road. His eyes glazed over and he lay there, stunned. Selva felt impact on her side then she was on her back on the road, blue sky above her. Her ribs ached where the other man had kicked her, but she rolled to avoid a second kick, ignoring the pain as she dodged this threat. He grunted with frustration as she forced him to pursue her back into the city. She scrambled to her feet as he pointed the gun at her, and took off running, hearing a _crack _as he shot at her. A curse followed the shot, telling her he had missed. She ran around a wall and headed for a large room situated behind the bathing room. It looked pleasant enough, with intricate carvings in all four walls depicting beautiful scenes of celebrations. The remains of tables and benches lined the walls, with a fire pit in each corner. Her parents had speculated that this was a place of relaxation and entertainment for the city people, until Selva had accidentally discovered a chest of sharp implements under one table. Now, she knew every inch of the city, having had years to explore it, and she knew this room was her best hope against a man with a gun. She ran the length of the room and jumped onto a table against the far wall. With no hesitation, she began to scale the carved wall. A bullet struck the wall near her head, chipping the stone. She flinched as some of the shards struck her cheek but kept going up. The second bullet embedded itself in her leg, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins kept her from feeling the pain. Instead, she felt only the impact, as though she had been hit by something. Making it to the top of the wall, she hauled herself up and sat there, watching him come across the room. The floor was made up of different coloured stones and bricks. From her position, she could see the picture they formed; a creature similar to the statues lining the temple, but with a long red cloak over his shoulders, facing another creature, a creature that looked a bit like Jovem now that she thought about it. The human-like creature was holding a spear raised above it's head, the point aimed at the throat of it's much larger opponent. The tip of the spear was in the very centre of the room, and the artist had added a bright star around it, indicating light glinting off polished metal. When the gun-wielding intruder stepped on this star, Selva pulled on the rope that had been lying on the top of the wall beside her. A rumble below his feet was the only warning the man got, as the floor opened up beneath him, dumping him into a pool of boiling hot water.

Frank groaned and rubbed his head. The bitch was fast, and strong. His hand came away from the back of his head with a smear of blood on his fingers. She was gonna pay for that. Swearing, he got to his feet and pulled his own handgun from his belt. Personally he hated guns, the recoil, the noise, the smell they left on his hands, but this girl was a threat, and if Terry couldn't handle her, he would have to. Nothing was going to get in his way.

Selva replaced the cover on the boiling hole, hoping the smell of cooking flesh would dissipate soon, it was making her sick to her stomach. Now that the adrenaline was thinning out, she felt the burning pain in her lower calf, and the stinging pain in her cheek from the stone shards. Her ribs were throbbing too, an ache that promised not to go away any time soon. Her hands were scraped from the quick climb up the wall, and she knew she would have more than a couple of bruises on her arms and legs from the dive into the bushes and the collision with the man. Sighing, she tore a strip off her shirt and tied it around her leg to slow the bleeding, wincing when she pulled it tight.

'Not over yet,' she told herself calmly, leaving the room. She walked into a fist. The blow staggered her, and she fell back. He followed her, drawing back and striking her again. She felt her eye start swelling up and took a deep breath to clear her head. It wasn't very effective. The man grabbed her by the front of her shirt and she opened her good eye to find herself looking down the black barrel of a gun. There was a flash of movement on her right and a dark blur was flying towards them.

'Jovem!' she cried too late as the man swung the gun around and fired three times in rapid succession. Jovem fell to the floor, the stone hissing and melting where his blood landed. Selva stared at his still body, tears welling up in her eyes. She was reminded of the danger she was in when the man shook her roughly. Shaking, she looked into his eyes. All she saw was greed and hatred. Smoke was rising from the barrel of the gun as he raised it to her face again.

Kar'ja had seen enough. He wouldn't let this Ooman male take the life of such a strong fighter, if she was to be killed, it would be by a worthy opponent, a skilled warrior, not some pitiful Ooman with a primitive weapon.

The air behind her captor shimmered, attracting her attention. The man began to turn his head, clearly wondering what had distracted her from her own impending death. There was the sound of metal sliding on metal, then blood was bursting out of his chest as two holes appeared in his flesh. His hand fell away from her shirt and she stepped back as he was lifted off the ground, his gun falling uselessly from his other hand. There was an electric crackling, a sound she hadn't heard since she was a child as she had no need of electrical appliances living here. The man was tossed to the side, her eyes following his body as it landed in a crumpled heap against a bench. A low growl in front of her drew her eyes to the large human-like creature standing before her, blood dripping off the twin blades on it's wrist.


	8. Capture

Selva stared. It was as though one of the statues had come to life and was standing in front of her. It moved it's hand, and the blades disappeared into the armour on it's wrist. Selva watched it's head turn and realised it wasn't looking at her any more. She followed the direction of it's gaze to see it was staring at Jovem. The battle scene on the floor flashed into her mind and she reacted, kicking the creature in the leg and sprinting away, hoping it would forget Jovem and chase her. It did. She heard a grunt then the thudding of footsteps in pursuit. She made it to the temple and darted behind the nearest statue just as it entered the room. It spotted her within seconds and advanced, growling. She ran to the next statue and pulled a lever hidden amongst the stone dreadlocks down its back. A heavy chain net dropped from the trees above, landing squarely on the creature threatening her. She leapt from behind the statue and pulled on a thick rope that had fallen beside the net. The net closed around the creature, sweeping it off it's feet. Selva returned to the statue and tied the rope around it's great waist, stepped back and sent a kick into the stone midsection. The statue fell back easily, the floor behind it opening up. As it fell, the net was pulled up into the air. Selva looked up at the captured creature, then turned, looking around the temple. She spotted the body near the entrance and went to investigate. The man's face had been melted off, leaving a bloody skull to stare unseeing. Damn. And it was so difficult to collect the corrosive venom without burning herself. Oh well, at least she knew the trap worked. Luckily she had managed to get some cuttings of the plant to grow in her garden, it took so long to get to the little valley where they grew naturally. She left the temple and headed for her garden, planted in a plot once used by the original inhabitants for their own vegetables and fruits. She used it for vegetables, a few strawberry plants, various herbs for cooking, healing and cleaning, and of course venomous plants that she used for hunting and traps. She refused to let her mind wander to Jovem's still body. She would pick some healing herbs then go to him. He had to be alive still. She was shocked by how quickly she had become attached to the creature, but even after so short a time together she was already beginning to think of him as a little brother.

Kar'ja watched the Ooman female walk away. Although he would easily be able to cut through the chain net, he remained where he was, not wanting to frighten her until it was necessary. He tapped his wrist computer, connecting to the communicator on board the ship. Sal'rk answered his call, sounding worried. Well, he hadn't checked in for a while. He explained the situation in detail, knowing the Elder would be listening as well. Once the Elder had given him his new orders, he shut the communication line and settled down to wait, trying to get comfortable in the hanging net.

Selva was hurrying back to Jovem when she realised something was wrong in the temple. Holding the herbs tightly in her hands, she looked around, taking in every detail. The net was empty, the chain hanging limply in the air. Her eyes darted around, looking for the creature. There was no sign of it. She walked slowly to the net, the herbs falling from her hands. A large hole had been created by something slicing through the thick links. She felt the broken links wonderingly. They had been cut cleanly by something very sharp. A low growl behind her made her freeze, hand still touching the broken net. Slowly, she turned to face the creature. It loomed over her, forcing her to tilt her head back to look at it's face. Not that she could see it's face, obscured as it was by the metal mask it was wearing. She backed away a step, feeling the net brush against her back, the chain clinking as the links collided. The creature took a step forward, staring down at her. Selva's hand reached for her hunting knife, in the sheath on her belt. The creature growled and she pulled both her hands up, clutching them in front of her stomach. The body language of the creature didn't suggest aggression or ill-will, but it's sheer size and appearance made all her common sense scream at her to run. She backed away a bit more, side-stepping to avoid the useless net. The creature continued to follow her, making no move to stop her. She saw the almost imperceptible nod it gave, and started to turn her head, afraid to look but needing to know if there was something behind her. She sensed movement, then something sharp sunk into her neck. She slapped her hand to her neck but whatever it had been was gone. Her vision started getting blurry and her mind went fuzzy, unable to form proper thoughts. She felt strong arms catch her as she collapsed, succumbing to the drugs she'd been injected with.

**Author's Note: **Sorry it took a few days to get this one up, been hectic in my head lately lol. hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and as for Jovem's fate, well...look for the next chapter soon :D


	9. Reunited

**Author's note:** just a short chapter, didn't want to be mean and leave people wondering about Jovem lol. would have had it up sooner but I had a bit of trouble deciding how the interior of the ship should be lol.

Muted light greeted Selva when she awoke. She was in a large room, lying on a metal slab covered with furs. Apart from the "bed" she was on, there was no other furniture in the room. She sat up slowly, taking in every inch of the room. The roof was curved and everything, walls and roof were made of the same metal as the "bed". She couldn't see the floor, it was hidden below a thick carpet of gently shifting fog. Tribal designs seemed to be carved into the walls as decoration. As she was looking around, a door that she hadn't noticed swished open and the creature she'd seen in the temple walked in. She pushed herself back against the wall, trying to keep as far away from it as she could. It didn't seem to mind, it just stood there in the doorway, staring at her. _Sister!_ The cry distracted her from the creature, and she looked around the room wildly, even though she knew he wasn't in there.

'Jovem!' she cried in response. The creature took a step towards her, the door remaining open behind it. 'Where is he?' she demanded, forgetting her fear and glaring at the creature.

The creature raised it's hand and motioned for her to follow it. Warily, she approached, and it turned and left the room the corridors it led her through were all dimly lit, had a carpet of fog and were incredibly warm. They all looked exactly the same and she knew if she were to try to navigate them alone she would become lost very quickly. They finally reached a wall where it stopped and pushed a couple of buttons she hadn't even noticed. A door appeared from no-where, sliding aside to allow them entrance to what appeared to be a medical room. Selva gasped and hesitated in the doorway. There were more of them! Two more of the creatures were standing a few feet from the door, their backs to them. One of them turned to look over it's shoulder at them when they entered.

Sal'rk glanced over his shoulder as the door opened. Thank Paya it was Kar'ja and the Ooman. The kainde amedha was causing more trouble than it was worth. He turned back to the task of restraining it. Unfortunately, the short distraction caused by the door opening had been enough. The kainde amedha managed to shake Sal'rk and the Elder off and leap between them, knocking Sal'rk off his feet in the process. It threw itself at the Ooman. The Elder raised his plasma caster but Kar'ja put his hand up. The Ooman had thrown her arms around the kainde amedha's neck, apparently pleased to see it.


	10. Introductions

Elder Par'ko-ti stared in disbelief at the Ooman and kainde amedha. In all his years of hunting the creatures, he had never seen a kainde amedha show affection like this, not even for it's queen. When Kar'ja reported that the Ooman and kainde amedha had formed a bond, he just assumed it was the bond between fellow hunters, as the Ooman seemed to hunt for her own food. Kar'ja strode past them to offer his hand to the fallen Sal'rk.

Jovem pulled away from Selva and turned, growling, to the creatures.

'It's okay, Jovem, I don't think they're going to hurt us. Why would they have healed you if they were going to kill us?' Selva said soothingly, lightly touching the three small scars on Jovem's chest. 'Um, where are we?' she asked, turning her attention to the creatures. 'And, what are you?'

The one she had met in the city made a noise that sounded a little like a chuckle. 'You on our ship. We Yaut'ja. Hunters,' he replied, speaking slowly.

'Ya-oot-chah,' Selva repeated. 'Hunters of what?'

'Worthy prey,' he replied after a moment's thought to find the right words.

'Like Jovem?' she asked, gesturing at him.

The Yaut'ja thought for a bit. 'We hunt kainde amedha, this one different.'

'Kainde amedha...that's the name for Jovem's species?' The Yaut'ja nodded in confirmation. 'Do you have a name?'

'I am Kar'ja. This Sal'rk and Elder Par'ko-ti,' he replied, gesturing at the other two Yaut'ja in turn.

Selva gave them a nervous smile. 'I'm Selva. Um, can Jovem and I go home now, please? Your ship is very nice, and we're grateful for you healing Jovem, but..,' she trailed off as Kar'ja shook his head.

'You not leave,' he said, the tone of his voice making it clear that he wouldn't reconsider.

'Why not?' Selva asked, her temper starting to fire up. She had never been told she couldn't go where she wanted to. Even as a child she had been encouraged to explore on her own and follow her instincts. As interesting as this ship was, her instincts told her she had to go home, to repair the used traps protecting the city, and get Jovem away from these creatures that apparently hunted his kind. Kar'ja didn't answer. Instead, he and the other two Yaut'ja walked past them and left the room. 'Hey! Answer my question! I wanna go home!' she cried, chasing after them and grabbing his arm. He whipped around to face her, growling. She withdrew her hand quickly as Jovem pushed himself in between them, returning Kar'ja's growl. 'You can't keep us here!' she told him defiantly, placing her hands on her hips and glaring up at him. The other two Yaut'ja, who had been watching with interest, continued on their way down the passage.

Kar'ja looked at Jovem, still tense and growling, then back at Selva. 'You not leave,' he repeated.

'And you're going to stop us?' Selva asked, baring her teeth in a snarl of her own. Kar'ja remained still, staring at her. 'Come on, Jovem, we're going home,' Selva said, striding past the Yaut'ja, her head high. Her heart was pounding. This creature could certainly rip her to pieces if it so chose and here she was defying it. Jovem walked beside her, she could see him looking over his shoulder out the corner of her eye. They had made it to the end of the passageway when the ship began to vibrate.

Selva looked around at the walls as the ship began to hum. 'Shit. Run!' she cried, taking off down the left fork of the passage, hoping it was the right way. Jovem ran easily beside her. They came to another fork and Jovem took the lead, heading to the right. The passage opened up into a large room with big double doors in the far wall. It had to be the exit! Smiling inside, Selva put on an extra burst of speed. Jovem reached them before she did, and threw himself against them. Selva studied the frame of the doors, looking for a button or something that would open them. Nothing. The walls were bare apart from the carvings that decorated every wall she'd passed so far. She stopped beside Jovem, panting and staring up at the doors. Frustrated, she slammed her fists against the unyielding material. Swearing to herself, she turned to find Kar'ja standing in front of the passageway. Jovem hissed, then started growling as Kar'ja started walking towards them.

'Open the doors!' Selva demanded, glaring.

Kar'ja stopped just in front of her. 'You come.'

'No! Open the doors!'

Kar'ja moved suddenly, faster than she'd expected. In an instant he had an arm around her, pinning her own arms to her sides as he lifted her to carry her over his shoulder. He turned to leave with her and she saw Jovem snapping at the other two Yaut'ja.

'Tell him stop, or he get hurt,' Kar'ja said.

Shaking with fury, Selva took a couple of breaths to calm herself. 'Jovem, stop. Follow me.' Jovem complied quickly. _Are you okay, sister?_ Selva nodded. _We will escape. Bide our time?_ Again, she nodded and Jovem's body language told her he would be obedient for as long as necessary.

**Author's note:** Hope you all like it, took me a bit to come up with the Elder's name lol. Enjoy. To Guest who asked if they'd missed a chapter, why do you think that, does something not make sense?


	11. Cell Talk

**Author's Note:** Wow thanks everyone who's been following this story. I'm having so much fun writing it and reading your reviews, keep them coming. Next chapter isn't far away.

Selva lay on her back staring at the roof, listening to the hum of the ship around her. The room Kar'ja had put her and Jovem in could only be described as a cell. There was only one door, which locked from the outside, the walls were all smooth, as were the floor and ceiling. There was no furniture at all, and the soft red light seemed to emanate from the walls themselves. The three Yaut'ja were standing just outside the door, she could hear them conversing in their clicking, growling language.

'Jovem, how come you have such a good grasp of English?' she asked quietly.

_From your mind, sister, I have learned many things,_ came the reply.

'You can read my mind?'

_No...I can learn some things, but other parts of your mind are locked to me._

'Like thoughts and memories?'

_Yes. Did you always live apart from others of your kind?_

'No. When I was young I lived with my parents. We travelled around the world, they worked on old cities, digging up history. Then they left, and I decided to live by myself.'

_Why? Could you not go live with others?_

'Yes, I could have...I suppose I decided not to because when we used to stay with my grandparents for holidays, their lives always seemed so busy and complicated. I just didn't want to live like that, always worrying about every little thing. Life is simpler living alone in the jungle.'

_Where did they go, your parents?_

'I dunno. There was a war, soldiers took them away. What about your parents?'

_My kind don't know our fathers. My Queen, mother, was killed by the hunters on the day you found me, along with my siblings. I am the only one who escaped._

Tears in her eyes, Selva sat up and embraced him. 'We need to get out of here, the longer we wait, the further we get from home,' she whispered. Releasing him, she got to her feet and walked over to the door. She raised her hand to bang on it, then reconsidered, kicking it instead. 'Hey! I need the bathroom!' she yelled, figuring that was the best way to get their attention. She kicked the door again. 'Hey! Did you hear me? I need the bathroom!'

Kar'ja sighed and opened the door. This Ooman was apparently going to be annoying, but the Elder had ordered him to watch her and the kainde amedha. She was standing in front of the door, arms crossed over her chest. The kainde amedha was curled up on the floor behind her, watching him.

'I need the bathroom!' she repeated, staring at him.

'Bathroom,' he repeated, trilling questioningly.

'You know, toilet. To dispose of bodily waste.'

Kar'ja stood there, mentally translating and processing her words. Understanding, he motioned for her to follow him. She stepped out of the cell and tried to run. He had been expecting her to try to escape, but this was a pathetic attempt. He grabbed her arm easily...then let go as the kainde amedha barrelled into him. Damn! He hit the floor hard, the kainde amedha on top of him. He kicked at his opponent, who leapt off of him. He move to sit up but was knocked back by the stool he'd been sitting on, swung by the Ooman. He let out a roar and managed to get to one knee. The kainde amedha rammed into him again. He rolled back, trying to get some space so he could collect himself. Before he knew what was happening, the cell door had shut on him. With a growl of frustration, he started typing on his wrist computer.

Selva set the stool down and grinned at Jovem. 'That worked well. Let's go, that won't stop him for long.' They ran off down the passageway, leaving the cell behind.

'How do you know where to go?' Selva asked as they ran. Jovem was in the lead.

_I don't know. Instinct maybe. I just feel that we should go this way._

'Well, my instincts have usually led me the right way, no reason to think yours wouldn't do the same. And I have no idea where we should go anyway.'

A few turns later, they reached a large room that was occupied by the other two Yaut'ja. Selva swore under her breath.

_Hide,_ Jovem told her. She glanced at him, he seemed confident. She looked around the hallway and decided on just ducking behind one of the curved columns that lined the walls of this particular passageway. Once he was sure she was hidden, Jovem ran into the room, quickly attracting the attention of the Yaut'ja. Seconds later, the three of them darted past Selva's hiding place. She waited until their footsteps told her they were quite far away, then slipped into the room. She walked straight to what appeared to be the main control panel. She had no experience with technology, save for using her parents' satellite phone and various cameras. The symbols on the large desk were familiar, similar ones were carved into some of the temple walls, but she couldn't read them. She shrugged and pushed a button. The screen above the desk, which had shown the blackness of space outside, lit up with a new image. Movement behind her announced Jovem's return. She was staring at the screen, which showed a lot of creatures like Jovem. It appeared to be a nest, eggs were standing up all over the floor of a large cavern.

_Queen. Hive._

She pulled her gaze from the screen to look at Jovem. He was studying the image, completely engrossed in it. Her heart fell. There was a place out there that he could call home after all. She turned in time to see the Yaut'ja approaching. Leaving Jovem staring at the screen, she walked to meet them, hands out in front of her. They stopped just inside the room, eyeing her carefully.

'I'm sorry. Can...can you take us to a...hive? I think it would be best for Jovem,' she said pleadingly.

Kar'ja stepped forward and only then did she notice that all three had their wrist blades out.


	12. Peaceful Agreement

Selva sat quietly in her seat, watching the Yaut'ja operating the ship. Jovem was curled up at her feet, the tip of his tail flicking lazily much like a jaguar's tail when it was resting in the sun.

The Yaut'ja had agreed to show them a hive, as long as they agreed to behave, and she had to trust that they would keep their word.

_I am hungry._ Jovem broke into her thoughts of home.

She stood up and walked over to the Yaut'ja. Wanting to avoid Kar'ja as much as possible after attacking him twice, she lightly tapped the Elder on the arm to get his attention. 'Excuse me. Um, do you have any food? Jovem's hungry and to be honest I'm a little hungry too.'

He nodded at her, grunted something to the other two Yaut'ja, then strode towards the passage, glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was following. Jovem fell into step beside her as they passed him. The Elder led them down the passage a little way, then stopped, turning to the wall. He pushed a symbol and a small computer panel slid out. He typed in a command and the panel slid back into the wall as a door appeared. He led the way into the small room the door revealed. Selva looked around with interest. A circular table stood in the centre of the room, with four of the large chairs around it. A bench and cooking surface took up one wall. What she first took as another long bench turned out to be a cold storage cupboard. The Elder lifted the top and pulled out some meat, which he tossed onto the cooking surface. He turned to see Selva gazing around the room. When her eyes alighted on him, he gestured that she should sit at the table. She complied, hoisting herself up into the surprisingly comfortable chair. Jovem leapt up onto the chair beside her, sniffing at the air. The meat was starting to smell really good, Selva had to admit. The Elder's appearance at her side startled her, and she looked up to see that he was offering her a bowl. She took it and peered inside. Slices of a red fruit filled the bowl. She picked up a piece and nibbled at it tentatively. Sweet juice filled her mouth, the flesh of the fruit melting on her tongue. The food awakened her hunger and she quickly devoured the rest of the slice. Jovem leaned his head towards the bowl, sniffing at it. Selva held a slice out towards him. He took it from her, his small, sharp teeth grazing the tips of her fingers. She grinned and took another slice for herself. The Elder nodded to himself and returned to the cooking surface to finish preparing the meat.

'I think you'll have to go through the kainde amedha if you want to make her your mate,' Sal'rk said after the Elder and their guests had left the room.

'What are you talking about?' Kar'ja asked.

'The Ooman. If you want to court her, you'll have to fight her "brother".'

'Why would I want to court a Ooman?'

'Well, you keep staring at her.'

'No, I don't...and even if I do keep staring at her, it's because Ooman's look weird.'

'And why did you work so hard to convince the Elder to do what she wanted?'

'So that they would co-operate with us. Look, I'm not interested in her.'

'Uh-huh. For someone who's not interested, you're getting pretty defensive.'

'I am not being defensive!' Sal'rk didn't reply, he just checked the console to ensure they were still heading in the right direction. Kar'ja growled to himself and stalked off to get some sleep.

With a full stomach and easy mind, Selva curled up in the bed. The Elder had shown her and Jovem to a room where they could sleep, and an adjoining bathroom where they could wash if they wished. Selva had been grateful to see it also had a toilet, albeit a rather large one. The bed was the perfect size for her and Jovem to sleep comfortably side-by-side. The soft furs covering her reminded her of the sheepskin mat in her grandparents' lounge room. Not that she needed all of the furs that had been on the bed, like the rest of the ship, this room was really warm. Jovem lay in a ball, much like a cat, on top of the furs beside her, tail draped over her legs protectively.


	13. Impact

**Author's note:** Just a short chapter :D next one coming soon. reviews/criticisms welcome

Something was wrong. Selva felt it as soon as she woke up. The first sign was the lighting. The lights were flickering erratically. She leapt out of the bed and ran to join Jovem at the door. She pushed the symbol she'd seen the Elder push to open the door. Nothing happened.

'They must have locked us in!' Selva cried in frustration. Jovem growled, as unhappy as she was. She banged on the door with her hand. Just as her hand connected with the door, the entire ship started to shake. She stepped back from the door. 'I didn't hit it that hard!' As the shaking grew more violent, Jovem picked Selva up and leapt onto the bed with her. He scooped a couple of the furs around her then curled his limbs around her protectively.

Kar'ja groaned and rubbed his head. He vaguely remembered seeing a meteor shower through the window, and the shudder of the engines trying vainly to keep working. He looked around the Bridge. Sal'rk was lying not far from him, not moving. Elder Par'ko-ti was on his feet, massaging one shoulder as he surveyed the damage. Kar'ja caught his eye and nodded to let him know he was alright. Then he strode over the debris to check on Sal'rk. His friend let out a groan when Kar'ja lifted a chair off his legs.

'You okay?'

'Yes. Nothing broken.'

'Do you remember anything?'

'The shields and radar failed, bloody things. There was a meteor shower...' Sal'rk cracked his neck and shrugged. 'Think the rest is self-explanatory,' he said, gesturing at the wrecked room.

'At least we landed on a well-frequented planet.'

'Yeah. We just gotta wait until someone picks us up,' Sal'rk agreed. Neither of them mentioned that the reason the planet was visited so often was because the planet housed a Hive and meant good hunting.

'Better go check on the Ooman and kainde amedha,' the Elder said.

'Kar'ja can do that. I'll see if the ship is repairable,' Sal'rk suggested. Kar'ja shot Sal'rk a look of anger but headed off towards the room the Elder had placed their guests in.

Selva opened her eyes and gazed around the room. Luckily the bed had been attached to the floor, it could have been very dangerous if it had been free to move around. Jovem uncurled himself and let her get up. Furs were scattered around the room, but what really caught her attention was the huge boulder jutting out of one wall. She began to approach it, but Jovem leaped ahead of her. The ship must have been falling pretty fast for the boulder to smash through the thick metal. Jovem slipped through a gap between the twisted metal and the rock, then poked his head back through.

_Coming, Selva?_

She grinned at him. 'Of course.' Grabbing a couple of the furs in case she needed them, she followed her brother out into the fresh air. Bright sunlight overwhelmed her eyes after the dim lighting inside the ship and it took her a few moments to adjust to it. When she did get a good look around, she was pleasantly amazed. Lush rainforest met her astonished eyes. The boulder beside her was part of a cliff set high above a valley overflowing with bright green vegetation. The ship had crashed right on the edge of the cliff, the boulder piercing the hull seemed to be the only thing keeping it from rolling over the side. Selva stepped away from the ship, heading away from the edge of the cliff, Jovem running ahead to sniff at everything.

Kar'ja entered the room, prepared to see injured bodies. Instead, an empty room greeted him. They were gone. One wall was split open by a large boulder, obviously the escape route the Ooman and kainde amedha had taken. Opening up the communication lines, he quickly told the others what had happened before running to the nearest exit. He scanned the line of jungle behind the ship, assuming that the Ooman wouldn't have attempted climbing down the cliff. The only heat signatures he could pick up belonged to animals and birds. He frowned. They couldn't have gotten too far, so why couldn't he spot the Ooman's heat? It wasn't unheard of for Ooman's to hide their body heat, but how could she know they used heat signatures to track prey? Well, she was rather smart, perhaps she had figured it out. He glanced over his shoulder at the edge of the cliff then headed into the jungle. Sal'rk and the Elder were staying on the ship to see about repairs, and to try to contact the Clan Ship.


	14. Getting Away

Selva followed Jovem, trusting his heightened senses to keep them safe. The plant life was unfamiliar to her, and she didn't trust her own senses to let her know when predators were around. A strange bird flew up from the bushes ahead, startled by Jovem. Selva watched it fly away, sunlight glinting off the golden feathers. Jovem led her to a fast river flowing through the jungle.

_They track your body heat,_ he told her. _Use the leaves to hide it._ He nudged the thick leaves of a plant that grew rampant along the river bank.

'How do you know that?' she asked as she gathered leaves and started fashioning them into clothes, cursing her bad luck that she didn't have her hunting knife to make the job easier.

_I don't know. Maybe a memory from my Queen._

The leaves were cold to the touch, causing Selva to shiver despite the heat. Once she was covered, they continued to move, putting as much distance between themselves and the ship as they could. They were heading down a slope, following the river. The jungle around them rustled as various unseen animals and birds scampered out of their path. Selva could see the sun beginning to set over the trees in the distance, a sight that prompted her to start searching for a suitable sleeping place.

She was absently looking at the large tree trunks around them, wondering if one of them was hollow and would provide good shelter when she ran into Jovem. 'What're you doing?' she asked, then glanced past him. The river and landscape ended abruptly in a cliff, the water cascading over the edge with a roar that she was surprised she hadn't heard. 'Oh. Now what?' Jovem peered over the edge, then walked along the side of the cliff, gazing over the edge every few feet. Selva followed cautiously, noting the rocks that tumbled away over the edge if she got too close.

_Could you climb down here?_ Jovem asked, nodding at a spot. Selva peered at the area indicated. Thick vines snaked their way down the cliff-face, with the occasional scraggly shrub or small tree struggling to grow in the rocks. She thought about it for a few seconds before nodding. Jovem leaped over the edge immediately, claws easily finding holes to slip into. Selva watched with amazement. He was like a lizard, scampering head-first down the vertical wall of rocks. With a shake of her head, she began to follow him much more slowly, scaling the wall with her stomach pressed firmly against the rocks, dirt and plants.

Kar'ja moved silently through the jungle, barely making his presence known as he ran lightly over the carpet of leaf litter. He still couldn't see the Ooman, but he knew the lay of the land and figured the first place she and the kainde amedha would go would be a water source. The river wasn't too far ahead, he could hear the water as it cut its path through the jungle towards the waterfall.

Selva followed Jovem through the jungle. They were still following the river, after a brief rest at the pool below the waterfall. She had managed quite well climbing down, but had fallen the last few meters. Luckily, Jovem had deftly caught her and set her gently down on the soft ground. By now it was getting dark, especially since the tall trees blocked out much of the fading sunlight. A loud squawk distracted Selva, and her foot caught on a protruding tree root. She fell, twisting her ankle. Jovem raced to her side as she sat up, grumbling to herself and rubbing the ankle.

_Are you okay?_ Concern edged Jovem's voice.

'Yeah, but my ankle isn't,' Selva joked, grinning at him. He shook his head at her. 'Can you find somewhere for us to sleep tonight? Hopefully somewhere close.' Jovem nodded and raced off, disappearing quickly in the thick undergrowth. 'Of all the idiotic things to do,' Selva mumbled to herself with a sigh.

The gathering darkness didn't bother Kar'ja. He was following the river now, studying the soft ground for footprints. His wrist computer beeped and he pushed a symbol on it, opening up the communication lines.

'What?'

'We need you back at the ship. Something's wrong,' Sal'rk told him urgently.

'Alright, I'm on my way.' With a grunt, he turned away from the river. The Ooman and kainde amedha could wait until after this problem was solved.


	15. Noises in the Night

Selva sat on a bed of soft leaves and moss. Jovem had insisted on carrying her to the small burrow he had found, and growled at her when she tried to follow him out to collect firewood and fruit. Although they both knew it would be a bad idea to have a fire, it was growing cold fast, and Selva knew the few blankets she'd been carrying tied around her waist would not keep her warm if the temperature dropped much more. She'd waited until Jovem had left before busying herself making the burrow a little more comfortable. It was a small cave under the roots of a fallen tree, judging by the smell, it had been abandoned for some time. Apart from the main entrance, there was an escape tunnel hidden in the back, Selva had found it after removing a clump of old tree branches. Judging by the size of the cave and its exits, the original inhabitants had been about the size of a jaguar. Selva sincerely hoped they weren't planning on returning to the burrow anytime soon. The rustle of leaves alerted her to Jovem's return. He had a large handful of small dry twigs in one claw and a strange fish in the other. Selva arranged the sticks in the small hole she had dug for their fire and got it started. Then she examined the fish by the light of the flames. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before. It was almost as long as her arm and had thick fins on either side of its body easily the size of her hand. A long fin trailed down its back. Long whisker-like appendages sprouted from the sides of its mouth, which held row after row of razor sharp teeth.

'Is it edible?' Selva asked quietly, glancing from the fish to Jovem.

_I ate one at the river. Very tasty,_ he assured her.

Selva shrugged and inspected the teeth. 'I could make a decent knife out of the larger ones,' she mused to herself. She picked up a sharp stone she'd found when digging the fire pit and started to hack away at the mouth of the fish.

Kar'ja gaped at Sal'rk in disbelief. 'Sabotage? Who could have sabotaged the ship? The Ooman and kainde amedha were locked in their room the whole time.'

Sal'rk nodded gravely. 'Yes, they were. I've checked all the security footage. There was another Yaut'ja on the ship.'

'Another...but Cha'rl died during the hunt.'

'It wasn't Cha'rl. I don't know who it was, I didn't recognise him.'

'Where would he have come from? It was only the four of us on board when we left the Clan Ship.'

'I don't know. Elder Par'ko-ti is talking to the Clan Leader right now to see if there are any hunters unaccounted for.'

'Okay. Can the ship be repaired?'

'Well, the engine and shields can be fairly easily. We just have to repair the hole in the hull, although, the Elder said we could just seal off that room.'

'Great. Now I just gotta find the Ooman and kainde amedha.'

'After we capture this other Yaut'ja and find out what his game is,' Sal'rk replied.

'Right. Any idea where he is?'

'Well, according to the security footage, he never came out of the engine room. But I've been in there and didn't sense anyone.'

'How long were you in there for?'

'Not long,' Sal'rk admitted.

'Come on, let's go check it out.' The pair left the bridge, heading for the engine room.

The fish had been rather tasty, and while Jovem munched on the bones, Selva was fashioning some new weapons for herself. The crack of a breaking branch outside their cave caught their attention, and they both looked up from their tasks.

Selva glanced at Jovem. 'Predator?'

_I don't know. _Jovem tilted his head to one side, listening carefully. _Could be the Yaut'ja. I'll go see._

'Be careful,' she whispered, setting aside her half-finished weapons and grabbing the couple that she had already done. He nodded and disappeared into the darkness. Selva gazed out after him for a while before picking up a strong stick and beginning to fasten a tooth to the end of it. She already had two of her new knives in her belt and three arrows sitting on the ground beside her. The sounds of a struggle sent her limping outside as fast as she could, one of her new knives in one hand and a burning branch in the other. She looked around quickly, trying to spot Jovem. Her only warning was a low hiss a split second before she was knocked down from behind. The branch and knife flew from her hands, landing out of her reach. She rolled and got to her hands and knees, one hand blindly searching the dark ground for a rock or a stick, anything she could use as a weapon. A bony arm scooped her up by the waist and threw her. She slammed against a tree trunk and crumpled to the ground, dots dancing before her eyes as she lost consciousness.

They had searched the entire engine room. It was empty. Where had the strange Yaut'ja gone? Both Kar'ja and Sal'rk were stumped. The only way he could have gotten out without being seen was the outside hatch hidden near the back of the room. Each ship was built with the hatch in a different place, only those piloting the ship knew where it was. Unless he had helped build the ship or had a copy of the schematics, there was no way he could have known where it was. When they returned to the bridge, Elder Par'ko-ti was waiting for them.

'Do we know who he could be?' Kar'ja asked.

'No. No-one is unaccounted for according to the Records.'

Kar'ja grunted in frustration. 'Well, we'll just have to find them and ask them ourselves,' he said decisively. The Elder nodded and, making sure they each had all their weapons, the three of them left their crippled ship.


	16. Saviour?

**Author's Note:** had such bad writer's block for this story for a while lol, sorry for taking so long to update. enjoy, reviews/critiques always welcome

Selva opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but it started to clear up as she took in her new surroundings. It was a cave, a huge one. She was stuck to the wall by some sticky substance, which seemed to cover most of the walls and ceiling. Large oval stones were scattered around on the floor. As Selva watched, the one closest to her began to move, the top slowly opening outwards. Selva gulped, realising what she had taken for stones were in fact eggs, lots of them. She struggled against the substance binding her to the wall. It was hard as rock, she couldn't budge it. Her arms were pinned to her sides, and she wriggled her fingers to see how much room she had. To her disappointment, she had very little room to move. She had no idea what was in the eggs, but she knew that anytime you were knocked out and woke up bound to a wall, bad things were going to be in store for you.

Feeling her heart begin to race, she took a deep breath to calm herself down. 'Jovem?' she whispered. 'Jovem?' she repeated after a few moments, a little louder this time. She still got no reply. Swearing under her breath, she couldn't stop herself staring at the egg in front of her. Spidery legs had curled over the opened top. They were yellow in colour, and had bony knuckles. An image of a large spider-like creature with a long tail popped into her head. It was on the face of a man, tail wrapped around his throat, legs gripping his skull tightly. The image disappeared to be replaced with one of the same man with a gaping hole in his chest and a snake-like creature on the ground beside him. 'Jovem?' she whispered in disbelief. She shook her head to clear the chilling images from her mind. She had to think of a way out of this predicament, preferably before she was killed. Refusing to look at the egg any longer, she turned her attention to escaping. Having already discovered there was no give to the stuff covering her body, she focused instead on the wall against her back. She rubbed at it with the fingers of one hand. She was grateful to find that it was slowly crumbling away beneath her fingers. Quickly, she began scratching at the wall with both hands, knowing it would take too long but having no other option. A squealing sound came from the egg and the creature launched itself towards her, legs outstretched. Selva froze, transfixed by the flying creature. Inches away from her face, it was flung sideways as a rock struck it.

'Jovem,' she sighed with relief, looking in the direction the stone had come from. Her face and heart fell as she saw, not Jovem, but a Yaut'ja. She watched as he strode in between the eggs, heading straight for her. He didn't say anything to her, just pulled a wicked-looking knife from his belt and set about cutting her free. His armour was filthy and covered with dents and scratches. The knife he used was chipped but sharp. It didn't take him long to free her, and without a word, he threw her over his shoulder and began to leave the cave.

'Hey! Put me down! I can walk you know,' Selva said, struggling in his grip. He just grunted in reply, adjusted his hold and kept going, ignoring her continued protests.

Kar'ja trotted along the narrow path made by countless animals travelling through the jungle. They had split up in order to cover more ground. They weren't only looking for the strange Yaut'ja, they were also trying to find the Ooman and kainde amedha. Nocturnal animals darted through the undergrowth around him, keeping well away. He was following the river again, sure that this was the way the Ooman and kainde amedha would have gone. He quickly reached the waterfall. Walking along the edge a little ways, he soon found scuff marks where the Ooman had begun the climb down. It was easy for him to scale the wall of rock, years of practise had made him an expert. He jumped the last few feet to the ground and looked around. Footprints in the soft ground beside the river showed that they had been there. He continued along the riverbank, eyes scouring the ground for more signs of them. He hadn't gone far before he saw signs of a struggle, broken branches, and scorch marks on the surrounding trees and bushes, indicating that the kainde amedha had been injured. Kar'ja walked around the area, looking for more signs of them. He discovered the burrow easily enough, the coals were still glowing in the fire pit. There were fish bones, sticks and sharp rocks strewn about near the fire, and he surmised that the Ooman had made herself some new weapons. Kainde amedha were dangerous by themselves, and if the Ooman was armed too, what had they come up against that had injured the kainde amedha and spirited them both away without leaving tracks?


	17. Brief Encounter

Selva struggled in her seat, slamming the back of her head against the wall. She was back on the ship, of all places, tied to a chair. The Yaut'ja glanced briefly over his shoulder at her, then turned back to the control panel. Selva watched the doorway out the corner of her eye. She hadn't seen the other Yaut'ja when they arrived, but she was expecting them to show up at any moment. The Yaut'ja at the controls had brought up a schematic of the ship on the large screen and was studying it intently. He grunted as something caught his attention and pushed a couple of buttons to zoom in on the image. With another grunt, he removed the image from the screen, turned and left the room. Selva wriggled again, trying to loosen the ropes binding her. He had tied them well, she could hardly move. Sighing, she slumped down in the chair.

Kar'ja walked alongside the river. He was following a trail of the kainde amedha's blood, a trail made up of burned leaves and sticks on the ground. The trail ended in a small clearing beside the river, where the kainde amedha was lying on a patch of burned grass. Kar'ja called Sal'rk and Elder Par'ko-ti to let them know where he was and what he had found. Kneeling beside the creature, he looked him over, checking the injuries he had sustained. Scratches covered his body, and chunks of flesh were missing where he had been bitten. He raised his head and looked at Kar'ja, growling weakly. Kar'ja ignored the threat and pulled his medical kit from his belt. The kainde amedha made no aggressive movements while Kar'ja tended to his wounds. Elder Par'ko-ti and Sal'rk arrived as he was replacing the kit on his belt. As soon as they entered the clearing, the kainde amedha leapt to his feet, settling into a shaky defensive stance. Sal'rk eyed him warily, but Elder Par'ko-ti strode straight up to Kar'ja and they began discussing plans to find the Ooman and strange Yaut'ja. When Kar'ja mentioned Selva by name, the kainde amedha looked around then took off running into the jungle. The Yaut'ja looked at each other then followed him, weapons ready. The kainde amedha led them in a straight line through the jungle, dodging around trees and bushes in his path. A large rock formation loomed ahead, only the shadowy outline visible by the light of the moon. The kainde amedha started for the entrance, then seemed to change his mind and ran off in a different direction. The Yaut'ja glanced at the Hive, then continued following him.

The kainde amedha was running up and down beside the ship, trying to get in. The hull had been repaired, very quickly by the looks of it, and the door was shut. Elder Par'ko-ti used his wrist computer to open the door and they entered the ship, all on their guard. The kainde amedha walked straight towards the bridge. Kar'ja followed right behind him, the Elder and Sal'rk looking in all directions as they brought up the rear. The ship began to hum and vibrate around them as the engines started up. The kainde amedha sped up into a run, the Yaut'ja following suit. Kar'ja felt the familiar sensation of weightlessness as the ship left the ground and began rising into the sky. Elder Par'ko-ti was rapidly typing into his wrist computer but couldn't seem to be able to command the ship.

Selva looked up when Jovem ran into the room. He was growling, teeth bared menacingly. Relief flowed through her, followed by apprehension as she spotted the Yaut'ja behind him. They advanced on the Yaut'ja commanding the ship. He turned to face them, weapons raised defensively. He didn't seem surprised to see Jovem working with the other Yaut'ja.

'You have no way out of this. You are outnumbered, and your weapons are primitive, at best. Surrender,' Elder Par'ko-ti told the strange Yaut'ja in their language, quickly assessing the situation as he and Sal'rk entered the room. The Yaut'ja growled in reply and took a step towards them. Jovem had run straight to Selva and began clawing and biting his way through the ropes binding her. Once free, she leapt to her feet and stood beside Jovem, glaring at the strange Yaut'ja.

With a growl, he lunged towards the Yaut'ja as though he was going to try and rush past them out into the hallway. When they moved to stop him, he changed direction, leaping over Jovem and grabbing Selva around the waist. Another leap took them to the huge window over the control panel. They crashed through it, Selva too shocked to even struggle as they fell to the ground amidst shards of glass. He landed on his feet with ease and took off running, barely pausing long enough to position Selva over his shoulder. Shaking her head, Selva began to fight him, kicking and beating at him with her fists. He ignored her, running into the jungle.


	18. Answers

Kar'ja grunted, angry with himself that he hadn't anticipated the strange Yaut'ja's actions. The kainde amedha leaped straight after them, clearly determined not to lose his Ooman companion again. Kar'ja glanced at the Elder, who nodded, then quickly followed Jovem. Elder Par'ko-ti hadn't recognised the Yaut'ja, but he had recognised the clan mark on his scratched helmet. After resuming control, setting the ship down and sending Sal'rk to one of the storage rooms to fetch the materials needed to repair the window, he got on the communication line to talk to the Clan Leaders.

Selva glared at the Yaut'ja as it climbed a tree, struggling against the vines he'd tied her with. They had stopped in a small clearing in the jungle, on the other side of the river. The amazement Selva had felt over the Yaut'ja's speed and agility while carrying her had long since disappeared, overcome by her instinct to get away.

_Sister?_

_Jovem! Be careful. He's hiding in the trees, waiting for you._

_Well, he won't have to wait for long,_ Jovem replied. Selva stared anxiously at the gap between the trees across the clearing, straining to see any signs of movement in the darkness. Something made her look to her left, at a clump of thick, thorny bushes. The attacks happened at once. Jovem leapt from the bushes as Kar'ja burst from between the trees. The strange Yaut'ja dropped from the tree he'd been hiding in, aiming to land straight on Kar'ja. Jovem thwarted his plan by lunging at him, launching himself over Kar'ja's head to spear the other Yaut'ja in the abdomen. They fell to the ground beside Kar'ja, who yanked Jovem to his feet before turning his attention to the other Yaut'ja. Jovem ran to release Selva, leaving Kar'ja to bind the Yaut'ja's hands and feet with strong chains.

'I am so sick of being tied up,' Selva grumbled, throwing the last of the vines away. Jovem chuckled, earning himself a glare.

The sky was beginning to lighten with the coming sunrise when they trudged out of the jungle and made their way across the rocks to the ship. Kar'ja had a firm grip on the strange Yaut'ja's arm and was keeping a very close eye on him, assuming that the Ooman and kainde amedha were still following him. They were a few steps behind him, both silent, Selva riding on Jovem's back, something he had insisted on very early on in the walk as she had been limping badly on her twisted ankle. Sal'rk was waiting at the door when they reached the ship. He escorted the strange Yaut'ja to a holding cell while Kar'ja led Selva and Jovem to the medical bay to treat their injuries properly.

Selva remained silent as Kar'ja gently examined her ankle. She wondered just how much he knew about human anatomy, how different it was from his own. He was quick with the examination, then he moved away from her to take something from one of the cupboards lining the walls. Jovem was standing by the door, watching the proceedings carefully. Kar'ja returned to Selva's side and applied a sweet-smelling lotion to her ankle. When he stepped back and looked at her expectantly, she moved her foot around, testing her ankle for any pain. She looked up at Kar'ja in astonishment, her ankle felt fine. Carefully, she slid off the metal bench, slowly putting her weight on the ankle. There was still no pain, it could support her.

A smile broke out on her face. 'How did you do that?' she asked, staring at Kar'ja as he replaced the tube of lotion in the cupboard.

He turned back to her. 'Still healing. Don't walk too much,' he reprimanded, lifting her back onto the bench easily.

'Okay, okay. But what is in that stuff?'

Kar'ja shrugged. 'The females make it.'

Selva glanced at Jovem. Females? She hadn't thought about the Yaut'ja having females, but now that she did, it made sense. 'Where are you going?' she asked as Kar'ja headed for the door.

'To see the stranger.'

'I want to come, too. I have some questions for him,' Selva said decisively, sliding off the bench again. Kar'ja said nothing to protest as she and Jovem followed him out of the medical bay.

The strange Yaut'ja was sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the cell, gazing passively out through the shimmering force-field wall at them. The ship was vibrating gently, Elder Par'ko-ti had checked the repairs on the hull and window then set a course for the Clan Ship.

'Who are you?' the Elder asked in English, mainly for Selva's sake, hoping that the stranger spoke the language. He had checked with the Clan but they didn't have any warriors unaccounted for.

'I am Mha'ke-tel. I lost my hunting companions during a kainde amedha hunt. Since then I live in the city, watching over it,' he replied in almost perfect English.

'City? On Earth?'

'Yes.'

'Is that why you keep trying to kidnap me? Because I live in the city too?' Selva demanded angrily.

'Selva mine. Only mine,' Mha'ke-tel said vehemently, leaping to his feet and coming to stand inches away from the force-field, staring at her.

Selva took a step back, shocked by his sudden fierceness. 'Wait. I'm not anyone's. I don't even know you.'

'I know you. I watch you since you come to city. You mine.'

All of a sudden it all made sense. The stories of demon attacks on groups of tribal hunters who strayed too close to the city, village women kidnapped and found days later, their bodies mutilated almost beyond recognition. 'It was you,' she breathed. 'You attacked the village women. You were the demon guardian of the city. But why attack the women? They weren't a threat to the city...' Comprehension dawned on her and she struggled to keep herself from being sick as she realised the reason.

He shrugged. 'All animals have sexual urges,' he said calmly.

Selva turned and ran from the room, Jovem on her heels. Kar'ja and Elder Par'ko-ti stared at Mha'ke-tel in disbelief.

'You are a Bad-Blood. You will be punished for your crimes,' the Elder said at last, checking that the security on the cell was set properly.

'Crimes? I committed no crimes,' Mha'ke-tel protested.

'You abandoned your companions during a hunt, choosing the coward's way out rather than dying with honour. You mistreated innocent Oomans. You sabotaged our ship and tried to steal it.'

'Oomans don't matter. Not a crime.'

Kar'ja snarled at him, glanced at the Elder, then left the room to find Selva and make sure she was okay.

Selva sat on the floor outside the medical bay. Kar'ja had closed it after they left and she couldn't get back in. She hadn't wanted to go to the bridge, because she knew Sal'rk was there. Jovem sat beside her, his head resting in her lap. Her hands were shaking, and her heart was beating rapidly.

_It is okay. I will protect you from him if he escapes,_ Jovem said reassuringly.

'Thanks. I doubt he'll escape.'

_They do have good security,_ Jovem agreed. _One comes._

Kar'ja rounded the corner and stopped in front of them. 'You okay?' Selva nodded. 'Come. Take you to sleeping chamber.' Selva and Jovem got to their feet and followed him along the corridor.

Selva hesitated in the doorway to the room. When Kar'ja looked at her quizzically, she gave him a weak smile. 'Are we going to be locked in?' she asked.

'No. Here.' He gestured for her to enter the room. She took a couple of steps in and stood beside him. He showed her a button that she would have just taken for a carving in the wall. 'This open and close door,' he informed her.

She smiled. 'Okay. Thank you.' Selva took a couple of steps towards the bed, which looked much like the one she'd slept on during her last ride on the ship, then glanced back. Kar'ja was still standing just inside the door, his large bulk filling the doorway.

_Judging by his scent, he wants to mate with you_, Jovem told her casually, leaping onto the bed and curling up.

'What?!' Selva shrieked, stepping hastily back and tripping over. The Yaut'ja moved quickly, scooping her up in his arms before she could hit the floor.

She stared up at him fearfully. 'Um...I'd like to go to bed now. To sleep!' she added hastily, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. He set her down on her feet and inclined his head in acknowledgement. Without a backwards glance, he left the room. She darted to the door and pushed the button to close it, wishing she could lock it as well.

_That seemed a bit rude,_ Jovem commented.

'Shut up. You couldn't have told me that _after _he left?'

_It seemed like something you would want to know right away_.

She glared at him. 'Like I don't have enough to process,' she muttered, flopping onto her back on the bed beside Jovem.

_May I suggest bathing before sleeping?_

'You smell, too,' Selva replied with a chuckle. Then she sighed. 'I do feel like a shower.' She got off the bed again and headed into the bathing room, which didn't seem to have a door separating it from the main bedroom.


	19. More Drama

**Author's Note: **wow been so long since I updated. Hope you all like this chapter :D reviews/critiques welcome

Kar'ja sat on his bed, staring at his hands folded in his lap. He wondered about Selva's outburst. He supposed the kainde amedha...Jovem. He supposed Jovem had said something to her which had caused shock. They knew the the kainde amedha could communicate with each other on a mental level, and while he was watching Selva and Jovem interact on Earth, he had suspected that they were able to communicate with each other in the same way. He'd not mentioned the outburst to her, simply leaving her and her brother alone. She had a lot to absorb, a lot had happened.

The communicator on his wrist beeped, indicating an incoming transmission. 'Kar'ja, report to the bridge immediately,' Elder Par'ko-ti's voice ordered.

'On my way,' Kar'ja replied, standing and leaving the room.

Elder Par'ko-ti was watching security footage on the large screen when Kar'ja walked in. He strode straight up the the Elder and stood beside him, watching the screen. When the Elder stopped the footage, they both stood in silence for a few seconds.

'That wasn't Jovem,' Kar'ja said finally.

'No.' The footage had shown a kainde amedha overpowering Sal'rk and dragging him off to one of the storage rooms. Kar'ja checked his weapons, then glanced at the Elder, who was doing the same. Without another word, they left the bridge, heading for the storage rooms.

Selva paced the length of the small room restlessly. She had showered with Jovem guarding the door to the bedroom, and now she couldn't relax. Her mind was working overtime, processing everything that had happened since she first saw Jovem. She had never lived the life of a normal human, even as a child she had known that. Now, though, she was doing something most other humans would never get to do. Travelling through space on an alien space-craft. Surely she couldn't be the first human the Yaut'ja had taken from Earth. Finding out that an alien had been watching her since she was a child had disturbed her as well, even more so when she realised his intentions had been to take her as some sort of bride.

_He told you not to walk too much,_ Jovem commented after watching her pace for a while. She glanced at him, then joined him on the bed. _Get some sleep, _he advised.

'I can't, my mind won't let me.'

_Okay. Just don't wake me up, then,_ Jovem replied, curling up.

'Gee, thanks for the comfort,' Selva said sarcastically with a small grin. He flicked his tail at her. She lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying not to think too much.

The harsh voice broke in on her thoughts. _He belongs with us, human. You know it. Bring him to us._

Selva frowned. _Who are you?_ she thought, uneasy at the strange presence in her mind.

_I am Queen. He belongs to me. Give him to me. _

_I took him in. Jovem is my brother._ _If he wants to stay with you, I will let him. It's his decision._

_Bring him to me. I will talk to him._

Selva sat up and looked at Jovem thoughtfully. _I will ask him if he wants to speak with you. _The presence disappeared from her mind, and she took that as agreement. 'Jovem,' she said, shaking him by the shoulder.

He growled in his sleep and opened one eye to stare at her reproachfully. _I said not to wake me._

'Sorry. But...there's someone who wants to talk to you. Someone...of your own species. A queen.'

Jovem sat up abruptly. _A Queen spoke to you?_

Selva nodded. 'She wants you to stay with her. I'm to take you to see her...if you want to.'

_I...I have to think about this,_ Jovem said.

'Don't be too long. The longer you take to decide, the further we'll get from the planet. And I'll have to convince the Yaut'ja as it is.'

Jovem nodded. _I might go bathe._

'Okay.' Selva watched in silence as he walked into the bathroom. Then she lay back on the bed again to think. A grumble in her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything since the fish Jovem caught in the jungle, which had been hours ago. With a sigh, she stood up and walked to the door.

As she stepped out into the hallway, she heard running footsteps. 'Oh, God, what now?' she muttered. She hesitated in the hallway, debating whether to ignore the footsteps and get food or follow them and find out what the latest development was. Curiosity won out and she turned in the direction the footsteps had been going.

Selva stopped in the open doorway, mouth hanging open in shock as she watched the fight raging in the storeroom. Kar'ja and Elder Par'ko-ti were locked in combat with a creature similar to Jovem, but larger and lighter in colour. They seemed to be getting the upper hand. Sal'rk was lying on the floor behind them, obviously unconscious.

Her appearance distracted Kar'ja, who briefly looked in her direction, allowing his opponent the chance to strike him. He fell hard, losing the spear-like weapon he'd been using.

_Jovem!_ Selva cried mentally, hoping he would hear and find her. As Elder Par'ko-ti moved to shield Kar'ja from further blows, Selva darted into the room, picking up the spear, which had spun across the floor to land not far from the doorway. Wielding it, she launched herself at the creature, which had turned all it's attention on the Elder. It shrieked in fury and pain when she jabbed the spear-tip into it's side. She yanked the spear back, stumbling backwards in the process. The creature hissed and flew at her, claws outstretched. She dropped to the ground and slid under the creature, hearing the wicked claws strike the ground where she'd been moments before. Leaping to her feet, she slashed at the creature again. It turned and wrenched the spear from her hands, tossing it away. She swore under her breath and jumped back as the creature lunged for her. It's tail whipped around and grabbed her ankle, throwing her to the ground. The wind knocked out of her, she lay looking up at the sharp teeth dripping saliva. The creature placed one of it's legs on her body, pinning her down. She closed her eyes and turned her head away as the sharp teeth got closer, not wanting to see her death coming.

A loud screech echoed through the room and the weight on her body was gone. Pushing herself up, she watched in shock as Jovem wrestled with the creature, snarling and growling.

'Get him to hold it still,' Kar'ja instructed, appearing beside Selva.

She nodded. _Hold it still, Jovem._

_Trying! _Jovem replied, his voice betraying the strain he was under. He managed to slam his opponent's head into the wall a few times, leaving it dazed enough for him to pin it to the floor. Kar'ja darted in, holding a thick pen, and jabbed it into the creature's neck. The creature hissed at him, then slumped to the floor, unconscious.


	20. Tough Decisions

Selva ate slowly, listening to the Yaut'ja talking to each other even though she couldn't understand them. Jovem sat beside her at the table, ripping apart a piece of raw meat.

_Have you decided yet?_ Selva asked.

He paused and cocked his head at her. _I would like to meet with the Queen,_ he replied, resuming his meal.

_Okay then. I'll go talk to them about landing again._ She swallowed the mouthful of food she'd been chewing on and got up from the table. They stopped conversing and the Elder left the room as she approached them. Sal'rk was resting in the medical bay. Kar'ja had seen to his injuries and then joined the Elder, Selva and Jovem in the cafeteria.

'We are going to land,' Kar'ja said before Selva could say anything.

'Oh. Okay. Why?' Selva asked, taken aback.

'We cannot travel with a wild kainde amedha on board.'

'Right. Um, before we take off again...could Jovem and I take a short...hike?'

'Hike?'

'Yeah, walk into the jungle...we want to, um, check something out.'

Kar'ja stared at her unnervingly. 'You are lying.'

She felt her face turn bright red. 'Yeah...Jovem wants to talk to the Queen of the Hive,' she admitted, looking down at her feet to avoid his gaze. When he didn't reply after a while, she looked up at him nervously.

'Alright,' he said quietly, seeming to have reached a difficult decision. 'I will discuss it with the Elder.' She nodded her acceptance and he left the room.

Selva returned to the table and sat beside Jovem again. _He agreed. But he has to talk to the Elder first._

_That's good. Thank you, Sister._ She grinned at him and bit into a slice of fruit.

Dew soaked Selva's feet as she walked through the jungle. Jovem was in front of her, sniffing at different things in the undergrowth. Kar'ja strode along beside her, fully decked out in hunting gear. Birds sang in the trees, announcing the start of the day to everyone within earshot. Selva kept stealing glances at Kar'ja as they walked, peeking at him from the corner of her eyes. Once or twice she caught him staring at her intently, and she quickly looked away, studying the jungle path ahead.

Jovem chuckled. _You two are so silly._

_What are you talking about?_

_You like him, don't you?_

_I dunno. He's an alien anyway, how could I _like_ an alien?_

_You like me, right?_

_Very funny. You're my brother. _

_Only since a few days ago. I'm also an alien, remember._

_Yeah, but..._

_But what? He seems nice enough. You'd rather a human like the ones we fought?_

_Not all humans are like that. I never really thought about having a partner. _

_Did you think about having a brother? _Selva thought about it for a moment. _I smell the Hive. We're close._ Jovem ran ahead, forcing Selva and Kar'ja to jog to keep up.

'We're close,' Selva informed Kar'ja as they jogged along. He inclined his head in acknowledgement.

_I see the entrance_. _Tell Kar'ja to stay back, they might think he poses a threat._

_Alright._ Selva grabbed Kar'ja's arm and stopped, panting slightly. He looked at her questioningly. 'Jovem says you should stay back. Otherwise they might get violent.'

'Okay. Call if you need help,' Kar'ja replied, handing her a knife.

She grinned and slipped it into her belt, covering it with the bottom of her tunic. 'No problems,' she assured him, turning and running after Jovem's retreating back.

The cave floor sloped downwards, the tunnel lit by some glowing fungus growing on the walls. Jovem slowed down enough for Selva to walk just behind him. Scratching sounds echoed up the tunnel to them, and Selva kept her hand close to the knife in her belt.

'There's no rodents,' she commented, her voice a whisper.

_Huh?_

'Rodents. There's always rodents in caves. But there's none here.'

_They've been eaten, or scared away._

'Oh. Well, at least they aren't running over my feet,' she said with a small chuckle. Jovem snorted and shook his head. She giggled at him, but kept her guard up. The tunnel emerged into a large cavern teeming with kainde amedha. Selva gulped and stepped closer to Jovem, gazing around in awe. The roof was quite high up, and several sink-holes let in enough sunlight from above to light up the cavern. She could feel many eyes on her as they walked into the cavern, it made her very nervous but she squared her shoulders and strode alongside Jovem as though she did this every day.

_You okay?_ Jovem asked, sensing her discomfort.

'Yeah, just tense and ready to run,' she replied jokingly, trying to ease the tension.

_Let me know if you're going to. You can ride on my back, I run faster than you._

'You don't want to be here?'

_Well, yes I do, but if you want to leave, I will._

'I'm okay. We'll keep going. I'm interested to meet the Queen, too.'

_Alright. Just let me know if you want to leave._

'Don't worry, I will.'

They stopped in the middle of the cavern, surrounded by kainde amedha.

Selva looked around at them all, worry written all over her face. 'Where is your queen?' she asked loudly, her voice bouncing off the walls.

One of the larger kainde amedha walked up to them. _My son will lead you to my chamber,_ the Queen's voice informed Selva in her mind. She glanced at Jovem, who nodded confirmation that he had heard it too. Without another word, they both followed the creature as he led them further into the cave. The other creatures moved aside to allow them passage, Selva wondered if they would move so willingly to let them out afterwards.

The Queen's chamber was three times the size of the one they had just left. It was at the bottom of a tunnel that wound around like a spiral staircase leading them underneath the first cavern. The Queen herself was larger than Selva had thought she would be, towering over them. She was laying an egg every few seconds, the eggs being carried out of the chamber by several of her older children. They had stopped just inside the entrance, Selva staring up at the Queen with her mouth hanging open.

_Come closer,_ the Queen invited, her voice like honey. Shaking off her shock at the Queen's size, Selva edged forward cautiously. _Thank you for bringing him home, human._

_Her name is Selva. And I haven't decided if I'm staying yet,_ Jovem interjected.

_Of course, dear. Take your time deciding, but you know you belong here with your own kind._

_And what about my sister?_

_She can stay here too, if she wishes. I wouldn't dream of separating you._

'Oh, um...I hadn't though about staying as well,' Selva stammered.

_Really? Well, I have a room prepared for you already if you would like to look at it while Jovem and I talk some more._

'Oh, wow. I...uh, wasn't expecting you to be so welcoming.'

_Of course. We always welcome family. My son will show you to your room, if you want to look at it._

'Er, ah, okay, thanks,' Selva agreed. 'I'll be back soon,' she said to Jovem before following the alien out of the cavern.

Kar'ja paced restlessly. He had tried sitting in one of the tall trees, but couldn't keep still. He didn't understand it. Usually he was fine sitting silently while on a stake-out. Today though, he was restless, worried about her. Hopefully they didn't take too long and they would all be leaving soon.


	21. Meet the Queen

**Author's Note:** Have I mentioned before how annoying writer's block is? I'm sure you all understand lol. Anyway, finally managed to get another chapter written, hope you all enjoy it. Sorry for the wait. Thanks for all the feedback/reviews :D

Selva's escort led her down a tunnel she hadn't seen earlier. There was very little light this deep underground, the fungus apparently not growing down here. Small rocks shifted under her feet, and she could hear water dripping somewhere ahead. The alien in front of her made small scraping sounds with his claws on the walls as he walked, perhaps to let her know that he was still close to her. She noticed that the tunnel was flat, which meant that her room was likely on the same level as the Queen's chamber. Something brushed against her right shoulder and she cried out, pressing her body against the wall of the tunnel on her left. She heard something shuffle past her and move on down the tunnel. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she stepped away from the wall and continued on. Light ahead indicated another cavern. Selva sucked in her breath sharply as she entered it. Eggs covered the floor. Corpses of large animals were being dragged out through another tunnel, each with their chest burst open. The kainde amedha leading her weaved through the eggs, cutting a path straight through the cavern towards another tunnel opposite them. Selva followed silently, doing her best not to touch the eggs. There were many kainde amedha working in the cavern; bringing eggs in, removing empty shells, babies and corpses. They all looked at her curiously but made no aggressive moves towards her. Great clumps of the glowing fungus had been brought down into the cavern to provide light.

_What would we do if we chose to live here?_ Jovem asked, seating himself on the floor.

_You will be free to do whatever you liked. You can come and go as you please,_ the Queen replied.

_Really? Well, why do you want us to live here?_

_Because you belong here, with your own kind._

_What about Selva? Doesn't she belong with her own kind?_

_She chose you to be her family over her own kind, did she not?_

_Well, she doesn't know what happened to her parents and she had no way of getting to her other relatives...she just prefers to live by herself, I think._

_She could do that here as easily as on her own planet, right?_

_Yes. You seem very determined to have Selva stay._

_I just don't want to split your family up._

Jovem thought about it carefully, shielding his mind easily from the Queen. She seemed genuine, but he knew instinctively that his kind could be deceitful, and he remembered what had hit him from behind when he left the burrow in the jungle. He had caught a glimpse of the three kainde amedha as they melted back into the darkness to wait for Selva to come out into the open.

_Jovem?_ The Queen's voice was quizzical, but edged with concern.

_Can we stay on a trial basis and leave if we don't like it?_ he asked.

_Of course, you will both be free to leave at any time,_ the Queen reassured him.

Jovem nodded. _Okay. I'll talk to Selva about it now that she's seen her room._ He turned to leave.

_Jovem?_ He paused and looked back at her. _I am so glad you decided to come and meet me._ He nodded and left the cavern.

The room was bigger than Selva had expected, obviously to accommodate any large guests she might have. The floor had been swept clean and covered with a thick layer of soft fur. A pile of bright feathers sat in one corner, which she assumed was to be her bed.

Her escort inclined his head at her then left the room. 'Um, thank you,' she called after him. Glancing around the empty cave, she walked over to the feathers and flopped down onto her back. The feathers were soft and warm and she sighed in contentment. A weak gurgle from beneath her made her sit up as though she'd been bitten. Kneeling beside the pile, she began to dig carefully through it with both hands. Something moved in response to her touch and she withdrew her hands quickly. Taking the knife from her belt, she pushed the feathers aside with her free hand. A bird was nestled within the feathers, shying away from her hand as she reached for it. Selva replaced the knife in her belt and carefully picked up the bird. It had been partially plucked of it's bright purple feathers and was streaked with a dry grey substance which she took to be blood.

_Perhaps that is meant to be a midnight snack._

'Jovem!' Selva shrieked, nearly dropping the bird in her shock. 'Don't sneak up on me like that!'

_I didn't sneak up on you, you just weren't paying attention to your surroundings,_ Jovem replied indignantly.

She rolled her eyes. 'I always pay attention to my surroundings, it's not my fault you're as quiet as a mouse.'

Jovem chuckled. _Sure. Whatever you say. So, what're you going to do with the bird?_

'I dunno. Look after it until it dies or recovers I guess. What are you doing here?'

_Came to check on you, and see your room. Looks nice. Not a lot of furniture though. _

'Well I wasn't expecting much,' Selva said with a giggle. 'The feather bed is nice.'

_So, you like it here?_

Selva sat cross-legged on the floor, cradling the bird in her lap. 'The Queen is certainly more welcoming than I was expecting her to be. What do you want to do?'

_I would like to stay for a while at least,_ Jovem admitted. _Would you feel safe here?_

'If you're close to me until I feel comfortable,' Selva replied with a sheepish grin.

_I wouldn't have it any other way. I need to know you're safe all the time. Family first._

'We'd better go tell Kar'ja our decision,' Selva said.

_You know, if we decide not to stay, we'll have no way of getting back to Earth._

'Yeah, I know. I'm sure I can survive in this jungle, especially with you by my side.' Selva stood up, smiling.

_I thought you would have been a bit more apprehensive._

'I'm just glad we've made a decision, for better or for worse. Exploring a new planet will be fun anyway.'

Kar'ja stared at Selva in disbelief. She had to be insane. No-one in their right mind would willingly live in a kainde amedha hive.

'It has got to be a trap!' he finally managed to splutter.

'I'll be fine. The Queen seems genuine. Besides, Jovem isn't going to let me out of his sight,' Selva replied reassuringly.

'What if they do not give him a choice? You are going to be severely outnumbered,' Kar'ja argued.

'We'll be fine. What were you going to do with us, anyway? At least this way you'll know where we are and that I can't tell any other humans about you.'

Kar'ja stared at her, then his shoulders slumped in defeat. 'Fine. Good luck,' he said, turning his back on them and strolling back towards the ship.

Selva gazed after his retreating back. 'I thought he would have said a proper goodbye at least,' she said quietly. Jovem placed a claw on her shoulder. 'Oh, well. Let's go,' she said, forcing herself to sound happy.


	22. Settling In

Selva dived from the top of the cliff, striking the water hands-first. Opening her eyes, she swam to the bottom of the deep pool, smiling at the bright fish hurrying to get out of her way. The bottom of the pool was littered with pure white stones. Selva grabbed a handful, then turned over and pushed off the bottom with her feet. Jovem was waiting for her on the shore when she resurfaced.

Giving him a grin, she swam towards him, holding the handful of stones out towards him. 'Check it out,' she said as she climbed onto a smooth stone warmed by the sun.

_How many of those are you going to get? You've already got a whole bag-full in the cave, _Jovem said.

'I'll get as many as I want,' she replied, poking her tongue out at him then gazing down at the stones in her hand.

_And what are you going to do with them?_

'You'll have to wait and see.'

It had been two weeks since they decided to stay in the Hive. Jovem had spent the first week sleeping just inside the entrance to Selva's room, until Selva got sick of nearly tripping over him every morning and told him to get his own room. The kainde amedha had quickly adjusted to their presence in the Hive, and left them to their own devices. Every day they journeyed out of the cave system to explore the land around them. Selva quickly discovered which fruits and plants were good to eat, and the best places to fish and hunt. Jovem enjoyed their hunts together, and near the end of the day they always returned to this pool at the base of the waterfall. Selva would start up a fire to cook the meat for herself, giving Jovem the offal and a generous helping of raw meat. The waterfall was one of their favourite places to relax. They both loved swimming, the trees and plants around the clearing were covered in colourful flowers and fruits, and the beautiful birds didn't seem to mind their presence, flying or hopping right up to them for pieces of sliced fruit, chattering away with Selva's bird, who accompanied her everywhere. Selva always carried at least two small daggers, one long-bladed knife and a bow with a quiver full of arrows when she left the Hive. She had fashioned all the weapons herself, leaving the knife Kar'ja had given her hidden in her room.

Jovem spent most evenings either talking with the Queen about kainde amedha, or helping out her children in the network of caves and tunnels they lived in.

Selva yawned and packed her things away into the small bag she'd made from the skin of a large boar-like animal that roamed the grassland at the edge of the jungle. 'Ready to go?'

Jovem raised his head to look at her from where he'd been dozing in the sun. _Sure._ Stretching his legs and tail out, he stood up and together they left the clearing.

They walked in silence back to the entrance, each lost in their own thoughts. One of the first things Jovem had brought up in his evening talks with the Queen had been the attack on Selva and himself their first night in the jungle. She had explained apologetically that she had thought Selva was from a human colony on the other side of the planet and hadn't even considered his feelings about her. Then she had apologised profusely and begged the forgiveness of them both. As she had been so nice to them, they had both forgiven her quite willingly. Selva spent her evenings crafting weapons, clothes, or creating art in her room, her bird sitting on her shoulder. She had given her room a much more homely feel, adding some of her art and dried flowers for decoration, making a couple of stools out of tree stumps, and making a light blanket for her bed. She was encouraging different types of glowing moss to grow on the walls, having discovered that different species glowed different colours.

Kar'ja shifted to a more comfortable position. He had grown accustomed to sleeping in this tree close to the Hive entrance. When he spoke to the Elder about staying to watch over the Ooman, he hadn't really expected him to agree. To his shock, the Elder had put up little resistance to his staying on the planet.

Kar'ja had spent the last two weeks shadowing Selva's every move outside the Hive, and carefully keeping track of her heat signature when she was underground. It seemed she had a knack for getting along with wild animals, as evidenced first by her friendship with Jovem and now by the small bird that never seemed to leave her side. He'd not expected them to stay in the Hive for as long as they had, assuming that the kainde amedha would show their true, vicious nature and scare them away. The first few days they had ventured out to explore, they had been followed discreetly by two kainde amedha. At first Kar'ja had thought they were making sure their prey did not run off. Until the third day, when he saw the Ooman was being stalked by a much more dangerous beast. Shole weren't known for their brains, but they were ferocious creatures that were incredibly hard to take down and they never stopped going for a target once they'd decided to get it. Shole have four short legs that end in thick scale covered "hands" with sharp talons on all four fingers. The entire body is covered with coarse fur, usually matted with blood. The head and body resemble that of a panther, sleek and lithe. Shole have round ears that catch the smallest sounds, a tiny nose, a large mouth with razor sharp teeth and no tail.

The one hunting Selva and Jovem nearly had more scar tissue than fur on it's body, an indicator that it was strong and had been in many fights. Neither of them seemed to notice it, both completely absorbed in a game involving throwing over-ripe fruit at each other. As the Shole drew closer to them, crawling low to the ground, the kainde amedha shadowing them intervened, killing the Shole quickly and quietly. Jovem and Selva never even knew how close they had come to being attacked. One of the kainde amedha disposed of the Shole's body long before Jovem and Selva headed back to the Hive.

Kar'ja was beginning to think he could leave them alone here. They would certainly be safe enough, and they both seemed to enjoy their new home. Not many Yaut'ja hunted on this planet any-more, due to the much better set-ups on Earth and various other backwater planets. Surely when there was a hunt on, Selva and Jovem would remain inside the Hive, where it was safe, as the Yaut'ja usually left the Hive intact for future hunts. He could always visit to check up on them when he felt like it, as he visited this planet quite often just to relax between hunts.

Selva carefully set the last stone in place and gently put the small statue on the floor to allow the sap to dry. She had a collection of the white statues now, animals from Earth and her new home, all made with the white stones and a sap she'd found that dried harder than cement. She had also made a few knife handles with the stones, including one with a sharpened kainde amedha claw for a blade.

She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. 'Ready for bed, Zazu?' she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the bird. The name had come from a movie she'd loved as a small child, watching it over and over again every time she stayed at her grandparent's house. The bird ruffled his feathers at her and she grinned. Yawning again, she got to her feet and walked over to her bed. Zazu hopped over to her and settled beside her head when she lay down. As the majority of the glowing plants were near the entrance, she only had to roll over and turn her back to the doorway to escape the light and fall asleep.

Zazu was sitting on her shoulder when she awoke. She rolled over carefully, placing one hand on him to steady him. 'Good morning,' she muttered, smiling. Her smile disappeared when she opened her eyes and saw Zazu. His beautiful bright feathers, so recently grown back, had faded to a dull grey. 'Oh my God, Zazu! Are you sick?' When she reached for him, he fluttered onto the ground and backed away so he was out of her reach. Leaping from the bed, Selva lunged for Zazu. Letting out a loud squawk, he flew down the hallway. Grabbing a knife and her bow and arrows, Selva followed him quickly. When she caught up to him, he was outside in the jungle, pecking at the soaked ground where large worm-like creatures squirmed in the mud.

_Their feathers change with the weather, it's a trait of the species._

Startled, Selva turned in time to see a kainde amedha step out of the shadows of one wall. She wondered how long he had been standing there. 'Um, hi.'

He inclined his head slightly. _Hello. Selva, right?_

'Yeah. We haven't met, have we?'

He chuckled. _No. I've been scouting for new Hive sites._

'Oh. What's your name?'

_I don't really have a name. Everyone calls me Lead Scout._

Selva giggled. 'Really? Well, how about I call you "Scout", then?'

_I can live with that,_ Scout replied with a chuckle.

'Great. So, none of you have names?'

_Nope. We just get called according to our jobs. There's way too many of us being born for Mother to name us all. _

'Fair enough. Does a Queen spend her whole adult life giving birth?' Selva asked, giving voice to a question she'd pondered since arrival.

_If she chooses. Mother is trying to build an army to face down the predators that come to hunt us. She wants to banish them from our home for good._

'Has she tried it before?'

_Yes. Last time they were here, a long time ago. They don't seem to come as often as they used to._

'That's a good thing. Are you going to fight them if they come again?'

_Of course. They brought us here just to kill us. They deserve to die, all of them!_

The venom in his voice startled her. 'Were you one of the ones they brought here? Do you remember your original home?'

_No. Mother is the fourth Queen to be born here. We live for a long time but none of us were in the original group brought here._

'But you still carry that anger?' Selva asked, confused at why someone would hold onto anger about something that happened years before they were born.

_They stole us from our native planet!_

'This is a beautiful place to live. And you said yourself they hardly hunt you any-more. I don't think it's healthy to hold onto that sort of anger. I get along with the Yaut'ja and your kind. You're both very interesting species.'

_You aren't angry that you were taken from your home?_

'No. I was at first, but if I didn't come here, I wouldn't have met all of you, or seen all the wonderful things I've seen so far.'

The only reply Scout gave was an angry growl before he stalked out into the rain. Selva shivered as a cold breeze blew into the entrance. She watched Zazu eating worms for a few more minutes before heading back to her own room.

Jovem examined the statues as Selva paced the cave.

'I know there are people on Earth who are still holding onto anger from their ancestors being forced off their land or forced to live somewhere else, but I never really understood why. I mean, yeah, it was a terrible thing to happen, but it didn't happen to them personally. And they're directing the anger at people who did nothing wrong apart from being related to assholes...'

_Breathe, Selva. In my kind, memories are passed down from parents to children. In some of us, I guess the emotions are, too. Didn't you ever get angry about something that happened in Earth's history?_

'Yes, I cry sometimes when I think of the horrible things that humans have done to each other. But I got angry at the people that did it, not their descendants.'

_So you don't think it's wrong that the Yaut'ja hunt my kind for sport?_

'I...I dunno. I know of humans who hunt for sport. And I never really worried about it as long as the animal they were hunting wasn't endangered. But knowing you and getting to know the Queen...' Selva sighed. 'I dunno. I suppose, if they could identify and only hunt the dangerous kainde amedha...the ones that deliberately go out looking to kill because they enjoy it... From what I understand, hunting is a right of passage for the Yaut'ja. A way for them to measure status in their society...I...God, I don't know any-more.'

Jovem chuckled. _From the memories I've accessed, most of my kind are nothing more than animals. They breed, hunt, eat, sleep, die, with no real purpose other than continuing the species. I can completely understand why the Yaut'ja hunt them. Don't stress so much about someone else's opinion. _

'My father always said life's too short to hold a grudge against someone who's alive, let alone dead. Have you ever heard the saying "Learn from history, but live for tomorrow"? A lot of people say that but most of them don't seem to actually do it. They prefer to live in the past...' Selva shook her head and laughed. 'You're right. I shouldn't stress about anyone else's opinion. If others want to live their lives filled with anger and hatred about the past, why should that bother me? It's their life, not mine. Life's too short, for us humans anyway.'

Jovem nodded. _Now that that's settled...these are amazing. Can you make one of me?_

'Sure, I just need to collect some more stones and sap.'

_Well, let's hope it doesn't rain tomorrow._

**Author's Note:** Sorry, been a while since I updated, hope you all enjoy. Like the little Lion King reference? lol I do not own The Lion King or the name Zazu :)


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